Minimally Invasive Repair of Heart Valve Leaflets

Abstract

A method of repairing a heart valve provides intravascular access for repair of a heart valve through a ventricular trans-septal approach. An external guide catheter can be inserted through a vein of a patient into the right ventricle via the right atrium. An internal guide catheter can be inserted through the external guide and can provide access to the septum for a puncture tool to create an opening through the septum to the left ventricle. The internal guide can then be advanced into the left ventricle and used to guide a deployment catheter that deploys a repair device onto the heart valve.

1 . A method of repairing a heart valve in a beating heart of a patient, comprising:
 inserting a guide catheter through a vein of a patient and into a right atrium of a heart of the patient;   inserting a septal puncture tool through the guide catheter and into the heart; puncturing a septum in the patient's heart to create an opening through the septum;   advancing a deployment catheter through the guide catheter and through the septum to a position adjacent a mitral valve leaflet;   inserting a suture through the mitral valve leaflet with the deployment catheter; inserting an anchor catheter through the guide catheter to insert an anchor device adjacent a left ventricle of the heart such that the suture extends from the mitral valve leaflet to the anchor device;   adjusting a tension of the suture to achieve proper valve function; and   locking the suture at the anchor device at the tension that achieves proper valve function.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising withdrawing the anchor catheter from the body with the mechanical lock anchor device engaged with the suture in the heart. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising inserting the suture through the anchor device prior to inserting the anchor catheter into the body. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein inserting the anchor device adjacent the left ventricle includes advancing the anchor device along the suture to adjacent the left ventricle. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising inserting a cutting catheter having a cutting tool through the guide catheter to adjacent the anchor device after adjusting the tension of the suture and cutting the suture adjacent the anchor device with the cutting tool. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of inserting a suture through the mitral valve leaflet with the deployment catheter includes:
 capturing a heart valve leaflet with a clamping mechanism of the deployment catheter; and   inserting the suture through the heart valve leaflet with a needle of the deployment catheter.   
     
     
         7 . A method of repairing a heart valve in a beating heart of a patient comprising:
 intravenously advancing a deployment catheter into a left ventricle of a beating heart of a patient through a septum in the heart;   inserting a suture through a mitral valve leaflet with the deployment catheter;   inserting an anchor catheter into the heart to insert an anchor device adjacent the left ventricle such that the suture extends from the mitral valve leaflet to the anchor device;   adjusting a tension of the suture to achieve proper valve function; and   locking the suture at the anchor device at the tension that achieves proper valve function.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising withdrawing the anchor catheter from the body with the mechanical lock anchor device engaged with the suture in the heart. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising inserting the suture through the anchor device prior to inserting the anchor catheter into the body. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein inserting the anchor device adjacent the left ventricle includes advancing the anchor device along the suture to adjacent the left ventricle. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising inserting a cutting catheter having a cutting tool into the heart adjacent the anchor device after adjusting the tension of the suture and cutting the suture adjacent the anchor device with the cutting tool. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the step of inserting a suture through the mitral valve leaflet with the deployment catheter includes:
 capturing a heart valve leaflet with a clamping mechanism of the deployment catheter; and   inserting the suture through the heart valve leaflet with a needle of the deployment catheter.